Hồng Bàng dynasty

The Hồng Bàng dynasty, also known as the Lạc Dynasty, is the first dynasty that ruled Vietnam (then known as Văn Lang) from 2879 BC until 258 BC. It was founded by Kinh Dương Vương and the title Hùng Vương is used in many modern discussions of the ancient Vietnamese rulers of this period. The Hùng Vương was the absolute monarch of the country and, at least in theory, wielded complete control of the land and its resources. There are many legends surrounding it, but little verifiable historical information is known about this dynasty.

Predynastic stage

Vietnam, a nation located along the eastern coast of mainland Southeast Asia, has had a long and turbulent history. Around 3000 BC, northern Vietnam was a place with mountains, forests, and rivers. Most ancient peoples lived around the Hồng River and the Mã River.

Prior to the beginning of of the Hồng Bàng period, the land was settled with autonomous villages. Vietnamese predynastic society was anarchic and did not have any management mechanism. They lived together in groups as tribes equally in caves, or holes of big tress. Archaeologists have found many images on the wall of caves which showed the daily living of ancient people. In primitive age, people live in matriarchal society, similar to many others in Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands at the time.

The first dynasty of Vietnam

According to the Đại Việt Sử Ký Toàn Thư, more than 1000 years after pre-historical inhabitants (post stone age), tribal populations grew and spread throughout Vietnam. Near the Hồng River, Cả River and Mã rivers, were 15 Vietnamese tribes. The 15 Vietnamese tribes were the primary tribes at this time. Their territory included the Hồng River to the foot of the Ba Mountain to the foot of the Tam Bao Mountain. An early tribal leader consolidated the other tribes to became leader of the 15 tribes. He declared himself "king" and took the title Hùng Vương, creating the first Vietnamese dynasty known as Hồng Bàng. He is considered a Vietnamese cultural hero who is credited with teaching his people how to cultivate rice. Hùng Vương was the first king in Vietnam (approx. 2897 BC) and the founding father of the country. King Hùng has named his Kingdom "Văn Lang" (that means Vietnam in the present), and set up the capital at Phong Châu (Việt Trì, Phu Tho Province) on the cross-point of three rivers where the Red River Delta begins from the foot of mountains.

Rule was passed to Hùng Vương's male heirs which formed the Hùng Dynasty. The Hùng Dynasty stopped after 18 lines of descent on the advent of the military leader An Dương Vương's conquest of Văn Lang. The Hồng Bàng Dynasty was ruled by 18 successive lines of descent (although only names of the first king of each line were recovered). Numerous wars were fought in the late period of the dynasty.

The Hùng Vương era was thriving along with the water-rice civilization in the Red River Delta, at the mid-Bronze Age.

Organization

The first Hùng Vương (English: Hùng King) established the first Vietnamese state from 15 tribes of Lạc Việt in responding the needs of co-operation in constructing hydraulic systems, and in struggle against the enemies. This is a very primitive form of a State with the Hùng Vương on top, under him is a Court consisted of assistants - the Lạc Hầu. The country composes of 15 Bộ (region), each ruled by a Lạc Tướng, usually Lạc Tướng was a member of King Hùng's family. Bộ comprised the agricultural hamlets and villages based on a matriarchal clan relationship and headed by Bộ Chínhs (usually a male tribal elder).

The east border of the country was to the sea (Tonkin Gulf now), the west to Ba Thục (Sichuan), the north to Dongting Lake, and the south to Hu Tun Kingdom (Champa).^{[citation needed]}

Economy

The economy was based mainly on water-rice cultivation, and in addition were handicrafts, hunting and gathering, husbandry and fishing. Especially, the skill of bronze casting was at high level. The famous relics are Đông Sơn Bronze Drums on which depicted house models, clothing, custom, habits, and cultural activities of Hùng era. The Hùng kings ruled Văn Lang in feudal fashion with the aid of the Lạc lords, who controlled the communal settlements around each irrigated area, organized construction and maintenance of the dikes, and regulated the supply of water. Besides cultivating rice, the people of Văn Lang grew other grains and beans and raised stock, mainly buffaloes, chickens, and pigs. Potterymaking and bamboo-working were highly developed crafts, as were basketry, leather-working, and the weaving of hemp, jute, and silk. Both transport and communication were provided by dugout canoes, which plied the network of rivers and canals.

Đông Sơn culture

By about 2000 B.C., the development of wet-rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Mã River and Hồng River plains led to the development of the Đông Sơn culture, notable for its elaborate bronze drums. The bronze weapons, tools, and drums of Đông Sơnian sites show a Southeast Asian influence that indicates an indigenous origin for the bronze-casting technology. Many small, ancient copper mine sites have been found in northern Vietnam. Some of the similarities between the Đông Sơnian sites and other Southeast Asian sites include the presence of boat-shaped coffins and burial jars, stilt dwellings, and evidence of the customs of betel-nut-chewing and teeth-blackening.

Final moments

The last Hùng Vương was overthrown in 258 B.C. by Thục Phán (An Dương Vương), the ruler of the Âu Việt. An Dương Vương conquered Văn Lang (Lạc Việt) and united the Lạc Việt and Âu Việt tribes to form the kingdom of Âu Lạc, building his capital and citadel at Cổ Loa, thirty-five kilometers north of present-day Hanoi.

List of Hùng Vương lines

There were 18 consecutive Hùng Vương reigns handed down from generation to generation, 18 titles of the first king of which are known:

	Line	Title	Real name	Year of birth	Reign
1	Càn line	Lục Dương Vương	Lộc Tục	2919 BC	2879-2794 BC
2	Khảm line	Hùng Hiền Vương	Sùng Lãm	2825 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Hiền Vương during the period from 2793-2525 BC
3	Cấn line	Hùng Quốc Vương	Lân Lang	2541 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Quốc Vương during the period from 2524-2253 BC
4	Chấn line	Hùng Diệp Vương	Bảo Lang		Many kings named themselves Hùng Diệp Vương during the period from 2254-1913 BC
5	Tốn line	Hùng Hy Vương	Viên Lang	1970 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Hy Vương during the period from 1912-1713 BC
6	Ly line	Hùng Huy Vương	Pháp Hải Lang	1740 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Huy Vương during the period from 1712-1632 BC
7	Khôn line	Hùng Chiêu Vương	Lang Liêu	1648 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Chiêu Vương during the period from 1631-1432 BC
8	Đoài line	Hùng Vi Vương	Thừa Vân Lang	1466 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Vi Vương during the period from 1431-1332 BC
9	Giáp line	Hùng Định Vương	Quân Lang	1375 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Định Vương during the period from 1331-1252 BC
10	Ất line	Hùng Nghi Vương	Hùng Hải Lang	1287 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Nghi Vương during the period from 1251-1162 BC
11	Bính line	Hùng Trinh Vương	Hưng Đức Lang	1211 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Trinh Vương during the period from 1161-1055 BC
12	Đinh line	Hùng Vũ Vương	Đức Hiền Lang	1105 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Vũ Vương during the period from 1054-969 BC
13	Mậu line	Hùng Việt Vương	Tuấn Lang	990 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Việt Vương during the period from 968-854 BC
14	Kỷ line	Hùng Anh Vương	Chân Nhân Lang	894 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Anh Vương during the period from 853-755 BC
15	Canh line	Hùng Triệu Vương	Cảnh Chiêu Lang	745 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Triệu Vương during the period from 754-661 BC
16	Tân line	Hùng Tạo Vương	Đúc Quân Lang	712 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Tạo Vương during the period from 660-569 BC
17	Nhâm line	Hùng Nghi Vương	Bảo Quang Lang	576 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Nghi Vương during the period from 568-409 BC
18	Quý line	Hùng Duệ Vương	Huệ Lang	421 BC	Many kings named themselves Hùng Duệ Vương during the period from 408-258 BC

External links

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